Herbs & Botanicals

Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense): Identification, Aristolochic Acid Risk, History & Safety
Wild ginger is a native eastern North American woodland groundcover with a long ethnobotanical history, but it is not true culinary ginger. Because Asarum species are associated with aristolochic-acid exposure and serious kidney and cancer risks, this guide focuses on identification, history, ecology and safety rather than internal dosing. Read more...
Wahoo / Eastern Wahoo (Euonymus atropurpureus): Toxicity, Identification, History & Safety
Eastern wahoo is a native North American shrub or small tree with striking pink-red fruit and a place in historical American materia medica. Because all parts can be poisonous if ingested and may cause gastrointestinal and cardiac effects, this article focuses on identification, history, ecology and safety rather than home dosing. Read more...
Red Root / New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus): Traditional Use, Research, Sustainability & Safety
Red root, better known to many gardeners as New Jersey tea, is Ceanothus americanus, a native eastern North American shrub. This guide separates its Revolutionary-era leaf-tea history from medicinal root use, reviews the limited modern research, examines traditional lymphatic and spleen claims without overstating them, and covers safety and sustainable sourcing. Read more...